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Presidential debate: When and how to watch first Trump vs Biden showdown

Donald Trump (right) is accusing Joe Biden of taking drugs before the final Democratic presidential debate. AP (AP)
Donald Trump (right) is accusing Joe Biden of taking drugs before the final Democratic presidential debate. AP (AP)

When is the first Trump v Biden debate?

The first debate between Republican incumbent president Donald Trump and former Democratic nominee former vice-president Joe Biden takes place on Tuesday 29 September at 9pm ET (2am GMT).

The venue is Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, traditionally a battleground state in general elections. The polls are tight, but the RealClear Politics polling average currently has Biden ahead by 2.4 points (46.7 to 44.3 per cent).

How do I watch the first presidential debate?

All major US networks will broadcast the debate — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. The debate will also be available on those networks’ streaming services online and via apps on Amazon Fire, Android, Roku, and Apple TV services.

C-SPAN will broadcast the debate live as well as on C-SPAN.com and the C-SPAN Radio app. The Washington Post will also stream live coverage.

Other outlets will likely announce live streaming coverage ahead of Tuesday.

Who is moderating and what will be covered?

The moderator is Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace. Moderators are chosen by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

Wallace has announced six topics to be covered during the debate.

  • The Trump and Biden records

  • The Supreme Court

  • Covid-19

  • The economy

  • Race and violence in our cities

  • The integrity of the election

The topics might not be in the order that they are listed, and each will be allocated 15 minutes for discussion. The Commission on Presidential Debates has said that the topics are subject to change due to recent events. Developments in the Breonna Taylor case, subsequent protests, and the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as well as plans to fill her seat with a new justice, may be included.

When are the other debates?

The second debate will be a town hall format held in Miami, Florida, on 15 October, moderated by C-SPAN's Steve Scully, host of Washington Journal.

The third and final debate will be moderated by NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker on 22 October in Nashville, Tennessee.

Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Mike Pence will meet in the only vice-presidential debate on 7 October in Salt Lake City, Utah, moderated by USA Today Washington Bureau chief Susan Page.